Madness Tastes Honey Sweet
by Ithilwen Faelivrin
Summary: A broken mind held together by tattered ribbons, a broken heart held together by tattered ribbons. Some say that our fate is woven like a tapestry, that it intertwines with others. If the tapestry was torn by pride, could it be mended?
1. Ribbons

**Summary: A broken mind held together by tattered ribbons, a broken heart held together by tattered ribbons. Some say that our fate is woven like a tapestry, that it intertwines with others. If the tapestry was torn by pride, could it be mended?**

**Main Pairings: Kagome/Zuko, Azula/Sokka**

**Chapter 1: Ribbons**

**Warnings: None**

* * *

Cold. Dark. Dank. _Alone._

"Azula?"

_Azula._ Blue.

_Asura._ Demon.

A color or a monster?

No, her name. _Ah-zhu-la_. Azula.

She looked up from where she sat in the cold and dark, expecting to see blue orbs floating in an eternally tanned, perfect face.

"Kagome can't come today."

_Kagome._

_Mother._

She healed her with the pretty water; she protected her from the cruel fire.

"Why?"

It was the first word she had spoken to the stranger.

_Blue._ His eyes were the same as her mother. But he wasn't her mother. She wanted her mother.

"Where is Mother?"

Sokka stared at what had once been a blue fire wielding demon, and now, a helpless girl who couldn't control her Bending. A girl who had lost her mind. He had been shocked at first, that anyone had even thought of helping Azula.

She had asked him why and when he was preparing an answer when she asked another question, a startling one.

"Where is Mother?"

What would he tell her? That Ozai had banished Ursa a long time ago and that no one knew where she was?

"I don't know where she is, no one does."

"But you said that she couldn't come today...she was here yesterday and talked to me!"

How could her Mother just...just...disappear?! How could no one know where she was! She was here yesterday! She had told her about the moon and how her name was Yue. Panic began to settle inside of her as dark fears reared their heads and whispered cruelly to her that her mother had never loved. Her mother had never cared about her. Never.

_No! No! No! No! No!_

What was she talking about? He had said Ka-oh shit! Sokka looked down at the crying girl and realized who she meant by Mother. Kagome. He bent down to be eye level with her.

"Hey, your...Mother's fine. I just didn't realize Kagome was your Mom."

_Fine. _Mother was _fine. _She breathed a sigh of relief and the tears stopped. The taunts abated and she could breathe without fear. Mother was fine, Mother _wasn't _missing.

"Where is she?"

Sokka sat down next to her as he started talking.

"She's with Iroh, trying to see if - woah! What are you doing?"

Azula had started pawing him, beginning with his hair. She gave him a simple explanation as she pulled a small wooden box towards her.

"You look like Mother."

The box was full of ribbons.


	2. Humanity

**Summary: A broken mind held together by tattered ribbons, a broken heart held together by tattered ribbons. Some say that our fate is woven like a tapestry, that it intertwines with others. If the tapestry was torn by pride, could it be mended?**

**Main Pairings: Kagome/Zuko, Azula/Sokka**

**Chapter 2: Humanity**

**Warnings: None**

* * *

Kagome set aside the scroll she had been reading and sighed. To think that a father would do such a thing to his own flesh and blood…she almost couldn't believe it. But she had seen enough to know that humanity was capable of anything. Truly they were among the cruelest creatures to ever walk upon the earth. Sometimes, she truly wondered if there was any hope for humanity or if they should be wiped out entirely so that the world could start anew.

She didn't know why she stayed anymore…Why she helped such, in the words of Sesshomaru, _'such worthless creatures'_. Why did she when such things would happen?

When a father would take away his daughter's _own free will, break her mind. _

A few moments later, she had left the office generously given to her by the General and was walking towards his office, arms laden with scrolls filled with different possible treatments for Azula.

"Excuse me, but the General is in the gardens, he asks for you to meet him there, my lord." A servant stopped her just before she reached the corridor that would lead to the General's study.

"Oh? I thank you." Kagome thanked the servant and watched the young girl blush and dart the other way. It seemed that the servants were still unsure of her gender. How amusing. So far, only the General, Sokka and Azula knew that she was female due to the simple fact that she bound her chest to be ready for combat at any moment and did not have a single dress in her wardrobe. Even her soft voice confused them. She wondered when the joke would be exposed…

"Is this true?" General Iroh looked up from the open scrolls with despair evident on his aged face.

"I am afraid so, my General. If I may be so bold…may I remove Azula from the prison cell she is in?" Kagome sat across from him and blew on her tea. Everything would depend on this. She _knew _that Azula could be saved, but she could no longer be treated as a prisoner. Besides, there were many more that committed as many crimes (_and more_) without having had their free will taken away by Ozai.

So why was a victim being punished?


	3. Light

**Summary: A broken mind held together by tattered ribbons, a broken heart held together by tattered ribbons. Some say that our fate is woven like a tapestry, that it intertwines with others. If the tapestry was torn by pride, could it be mended?**

**Main Pairings: Kagome/Zuko, Azula/Sokka**

**Chapter 3: Light**

**Warnings: None**

* * *

"Hello Azula."

Gold eyes glanced up to the doorway of her prison cell to see a perfect blending of Fire Nation and Water Tribe.

"Mother!" The girl smiled brightly, without malice or artifice, at the figure dressed in the loose robes of amber.

"Azula, come with me." Quickly, the few belongings that she had in the cell were gathered by her Mother.

"Where are we going, Mother?" Curiously, she watched the person she loved so very much unlock the cell door and motion her forward. Didn't Mother know? She wasn't allowed to leave the cell!

"To a pretty little house in the gardens." Mother stood in the doorway, one hand extended to her while smiling softly.

"I…I get to leave this cell?" Hesitantly, she took a step forward towards the light, to where her Mother stood.

"Yes Azula, you don't have to stay here anymore. Aa, do you remember that song I taught you?"

"Which? You taught me a lot of songs!" The odd question made her forget her nervousness as she took a step and another until she was within reach of her Mother and took her hand cautiously.

"The one in which the Queen was stolen away."

"The King and his men stole the Queen from her bed and bound her in her bones. The Seas be ours and by the Powers, where we will, we'll roam. Yo ho, all hands hoist the colors up high. Heave ho, thieves and beggars, never shall we die. Yo ho, all hands hoist the colors up high. Heave ho, thieves and beggars, never shall we die…" With slow, steady steps, her Mother led her away from the cell as she sung the song she had been taught. Before she realized it, they were outside in the light. Her eyes blinked, unaccustomed to such light, used to the darkness of her prison and candlelight, she whimpered at the brightness of it all. It _hurt_.

"Shh, it's just light; I won't let it hurt you."

_I won't let anything or anyone hurt you. This I promise. You've suffered far too much already, little one... _


End file.
